“I think we have to go find our friends. We’ve had way too many detours already,” replied Steve.
“Do you want us to join you?” asked Thomas.
“Seriously? That’s a lot to ask of you.” Steve was shocked. Thomas was the same person who blew up his wheat farm and told the entire village that Steve was the griefer, so Steve couldn’t believe he wanted to help. Although, Thomas had helped rebuild everyone’s homes and confessed to being the griefer, so maybe he was truly reformed.
“If you want to come, please join us,” Steve said with a smile.
“Adam is an expert with potions,” Kyra added.
“We want to mine first; we’re low on resources,” Adam told them.
This was a tough decision. They had to get to their friends and they also knew that traveling without the proper resources would put them at a disadvantage.
Steve and the gang took out their pickaxes and decided to mine with Adam and Thomas.
“Watch out!” Thomas called to Steve.
Steve looked down to see a large hole. “Thanks, if I fell down that hole, who knows where I’d end up.”
The group began to mine. They dug deep within the ground until they reached a layer of diamonds.
“Diamonds!” Kyra was excited. They put the diamonds in their inventory.
Thomas dug his pickaxe into the ground and lava gushed out of the hole.
“Oh no!” Kyra cried. “Be careful, Thomas.”
Lava began to flood the cave, and the group sprinted out of the cave as fast as they could. When they finally saw a light, they breathed a sigh of relief. They were safe.
“That was a close call,” Steve said as they stood on the mountain.
“At least we were able to get some diamonds,” said Kyra.
“It’s getting dark. We have to find a place to build a shelter,” Alex told them as she looked at the setting sun.
“Yes, that’s a good idea. But we have to get down this mountain first,” added Steve.
“There’s a grassy area on the bottom of the mountain,” Adam informed them. “We actually built a small house there. It’s made out of wood, so it’s not safe from creepers, but you’re more than welcome to stay there.”
The group trekked down the mountain toward Adam and Thomas’s house.
The house was small but luckily they had enough beds for everybody. As they opened the door, a group of zombies came out from behind a tree. The green-headed, empty-eyed zombies crept toward the gang.
Steve shot an arrow at the zombies. The others joined him in an attack against these creatures of the night. The first zombies were defeated but more were approaching in the distance.
These new zombies were wearing armor. “They are going to be a lot harder to fight,” Steve announced as he took out his diamond sword and leapt at the armored zombies. He struck one in an exposed area of skin and destroyed it. The group helped him battle the others, but they were surrounded.
Kyra destroyed another zombie with her sword. Alex and Will shot arrows at the others while Adam and Thomas battled the remaining zombies.
“There are more on the way!” Steve announced, seeing another horde of zombies walking toward the house.
They were trapped. They were outnumbered by zombies and there was no way they would be able to battle that many zombies.
Adam threw a potion of instant health two on the zombies and destroyed a group, but even with the diamond sword and the potions, the battle was too much for the group.
The new batch of zombies were just inches from them. Adam went to throw the potion on the zombies, but the bottle was empty.
“What are we going to do?” Adam asked.
“I don’t know!” replied Kyra.
Steve destroyed two more zombies with his diamond sword, but there were too many to even count. When they began to lose all hope, the sun began to rise. The zombies burned. The group was safe. It was a new day.
13
TREASURE HUNT
Adam and Thomas had been exploring the area for a long time and knew an easy way to get to the desert.
“We just have to travel through the jungle and we’ll be right near the desert biome,” Adam told them as he showed them a map from his inventory.
“Steve and I were just in the jungle,” Kyra told them. “We had to travel through the jungle to get to his building competition.”
“Then you guys are jungle experts,” said Adam. “Hopefully we will find a jungle temple.”
The group walked through the grassy biome toward the tree-filled jungle.
Kyra saw a chicken in the distance and took out her bow and arrow. “Lunch,” she told the group as she placed charcoal down and cooked the chicken.
“I see trees!” Will told them.
“Yes, we’re almost at the jungle.” Adam looked at his map.
Steve took out his shears. “The easiest way to get through the jungle is to make a path so we won’t get lost in the trees.”
When they reached the first patch of trees, Steve cleared a path for them.
“Guys, look—melons,” Kyra said as she took out her pickaxe and cut away at the melon blocks to place in her inventory. The rest of the group followed.
Steve placed the last melon block in his inventory and asked, “How long will we be in the jungle? I want to get to the desert.”
“This shouldn’t take long. We’ll be in the desert soon,” Adam reassured him.
“I can’t wait to see Henry, Max, and Lucy,” said Kyra.
“I bet they’ll be surprised to see us,” added Thomas.
Steve and Kyra agreed.
Alex walked to the front of the group and then announced, “I see a pyramid!”
“A pyramid!” Kyra called out, “I’ve never seen a jungle pyramid.”
“They’re exceptionally rare,” Steve told her.
“Is there treasure there?” asked Kyra.
“Yes, it’s just like a jungle temple,” Alex told her, as they sprinted toward the jungle pyramid.
Again Steve was reluctant to treasure hunt. They were almost at the desert and they had obtained so many treasures, they really didn’t need any more, but he was outnumbered.
The group entered the pyramid, which was shaded with leaves. They searched the structure for treasure.
“Where’s the treasure room?” asked Kyra as the group made their way through a series of empty rooms in the structure.
“Maybe somebody already emptied the pyramid,” suggested Will.
“I heard there are usually diamonds in these pyramids,” Alex said while searching every corner of the empty pyramid.
“Shh!” Steve told them, “I hear something.”
“There are no hostile mobs here. It’s daylight,” Adam reassured him and continued to search the pyramid.
“Look!” Thomas shouted.
The group saw five rainbow griefers sprinting toward them.
“Alex, talk to them,” demanded Steve.
“I told you I only know the ones who were trapping your friends. I don’t know these guys. You have to believe me,” pleaded Alex.
Steve took out his diamond sword and raced toward the group of griefers. Adam threw a potion of weakness on them, slowing the griefers down. Kyra shot arrows. Thomas, Will, and Alex sprinted at the griefers, striking them with their swords.
The griefers fought back, but they were too weak from Adam’s potion and didn’t have enough energy to win the battle. As each griefer was defeated, it dropped diamonds.
“They were the ones who emptied the treasure!” Kyra said as she and the others placed the fallen diamonds in their inventory.
“We have to get to the desert. I’m worried about Henry, Max, and Lucy,” Steve told them as he walked toward the exit. The group followed him.
“It’s just past these trees,” said Adam.
Steve used his shears to make the path. They could see the sandy desert.
“See, we’re almost there,” Alex said as she walke
d in front of the group.
Steve wondered what she would do once she encountered the griefers she had promised to help. He had to believe Alex wouldn’t turn on them. As they got closer to the sandy landscape—covered with cacti and dead bushes growing from the ground, known for being a hard place to survive—he mentally questioned Alex’s motives.
The group stepped foot on sand. In the distance was a river.
“We’re here!” Kyra said. “I know how to get to the desert temple from here. This isn’t far from where the creeper attacked me.”
The group had lost track of time and night was falling.
“We don’t want to repeat the past,” Steve said. “We need to find shelter or we might be attacked by a creeper, too.”
Alex stopped walking, “Where’s Will?”
The gang looked around, but Will was nowhere in sight.
Steve walked back a few feet and looked down. “There’s a square hole!”
“He must have fallen in.” Alex walked over to Steve.
“A desert dungeon,” Adam said looking at the hole. “I’m sure of it.”
“We have to jump in after him,” said Kyra.
Kyra jumped into the hole, and the others followed. As Steve made his leap into the hole, he wondered if this was a trap.
14
SWEET AS SUGAR
Although it was very dark, Steve could see a skeleton spawner in the center of the dungeon. Chests surrounded the spawner, and Steve knew that was where they’d find their treasure. But the dungeon was also filled with skeletons.
Will battled a skeleton, shooting arrows at the bony hostile mob. Steve placed a torch by the spawner to deactivate it, but the light from the torch didn’t affect the skeletons that had already spawned. The group had to defeat the skeletons to survive.
Clang! Bang! Steve’s diamond sword struck a skeleton. The skeletons fought back with their bows and arrows. The spawner had filled the small dungeon with skeletons and the group was outnumbered.
Adam threw a potion of healing at them and the skeletons began to lose energy.
The group forcefully attacked the undead mobs as they battled for their lives in this underground desert dungeon.
Kyra struck the final skeleton and the group gathered the bones dropped by the skeletons.
“Let’s open the chest,” Kyra said and the group gathered closely around her.
The first chest was filled with diamonds.
“We can make the most powerful sword in the world,” Steve noted as he picked up a diamond. “I can’t believe how many diamonds we’ve found so far.”
“I know!” Alex said her inventory was full of diamonds.
“Of course, if the rainbow griefers defeat us, they get to keep all of our stuff,” added Will.
“Don’t worry, that won’t happen,” Alex told them.
“It better not,” Steve told her.
The gang made their way from the dungeon and onto the sandy ground. Night was almost over.
“At least we found some shelter for the night,” Steve joked.
“Night isn’t over yet!” Alex called out as a creeper leapt toward her. She sprinted.
Ka-boom! The creeper exploded. Nobody was hurt, but this was a warning to the group that they weren’t safe.
“Keep your eye out for hostile mobs. The sun didn’t rise. We have to be ready for an attack,” said Alex.
They didn’t have to wait long for a hostile mob to attack them. A pair of red eyes crept toward them.
“A spider!” Kyra screamed and then leapt at the bug with her diamond sword.
“It has some friends,” Steve said as two more spiders crawled toward them. Will and Alex slammed them with their swords.
The sun was rising. Steve sighed with relief.
“Where’s the temple?” asked Steve.
“It’s straight ahead,” replied Kyra.
Adam looked at his map and confirmed they were going in the right direction. As they walked through the sparse desert, the gang stopped when they saw a patch of sugarcane. Steve took out his pickaxe and cut the lower part of the plant, dropping all the resources from the sugarcane.
The rest of the group gathered up all the sugarcane.
“We can use this to make paper,” Kyra told them.
“And maps,” added Adam.
“I always wanted to grow sugarcane on my wheat farm, but it isn’t a good environment for it. I’m glad we found it here.” Steve cut the last of the sugarcane blocks.
They could see the temple.
“Finally! We can save our friends,” shouted Kyra.
Three large green cacti grew on the path to the temple.
“Watch out!” Will warned Kyra as she got close to the cacti. “If you get too close to the cacti, you will be harmed.”
Kyra backed away. Nothing would stop her from saving her friends, especially a cactus. Kyra sprinted past the cacti and through the sand toward the temple.
She ran to the temple’s entrance.
“I know where they’re hiding them. I saw the bedrock room,” Kyra said as she walked into the temple.
“I’m sure you do,” a rainbow griefer said as he hit Kyra with his diamond sword.
15
DUNES IN THE DESERT
Steve shot an arrow at the rainbow griefer. Adam threw a splash potion of harming at the rainbow man. Kyra’s energy was low, but she was able to strike him with her diamond sword.
“Where are our friends?” Kyra demanded, but the rainbow griefer wouldn’t reply.
Another rainbow griefer emerged and Alex and Will sprinted toward it with their swords.
“Alex, what are you doing?” The griefer was shocked.
“You need to let those prisoners go. This isn’t right,” Alex said as she struck the rainbow griefer.
“Never!” he shouted back. Steve shot an arrow at the griefer. “You aren’t going to get away with this.”
Adam threw a potion of weakness at the griefer.
The griefer could barely get the words out, “Please, leave me alone. None of this was my idea.”
“Who is in charge?” Steve demanded.
Will hit the griefer. “Tell us!”
“It’s not me,” replied the griefer.
Steve struck the griefer with his sword and he was destroyed.
When both of the griefers were defeated, and no treasures dropped, Steve and the gang knew that there must be more rainbow griefers holding the treasures and their friends.
The group walked into the desert temple.
“Henry, Max, Lucy!” Kyra called out.
“Shhh!” Steve warned her. “We don’t want to announce to the rainbow griefers that we are here. We have to sneak in and save our friends.”
Kyra apologized for shouting without thinking.
The group stopped when they saw the block of blue-stained clay in the middle of the room. They knew this was where the temple’s treasure was housed. They also knew it was always booby-trapped.
“It looks like the treasure hasn’t been touched.” Steve inspected the treasure.
“Are you sure we’re in the right temple?” asked Will.
Adam looked at his map. “I knew there was a temple here, but I can’t say if it’s the same temple where your friends are being trapped.”
“Kyra, is this the temple?” asked Steve.
Kyra looked around. “I’m not sure.”
“But what about the rainbow griefers?” asked Steve.
“Rainbow griefers are all over the desert,” Alex told them.
“But one of those griefers knew you,” said Steve.
“I just know the ones who approached me. Like the one we met in the underwater temple. Who knows who is holding your friends captive? There are so many rainbow griefers,” said Alex.
Steve couldn’t believe how many rainbow griefers they encountered. It seemed like the whole Minecraft world was crawling with these evil rainbow people.
“This has to be the temple,”
Kyra said as she walked around the first floor. “Aren’t desert temples a rare find?”
“Well, if this is the right temple, we better start searching,” Steve said and the group explored the sandstone temple.
“We should go to the lower level,” suggested Kyra.
“But there’s no light down there and hostile mobs can spawn,” Thomas said. “Does everybody have enough energy to battle the griefers and hostile mobs?”
Adam took out a potion of strength. “Does anybody need this?”
“I think if we just eat the melons we found, we’ll be fine. We need to save that potion; it will come in useful if we’re attacked,” said Alex.
The group ate melons and kept watch for rainbow griefers.
“I hear something,” Steve said as he ate the melon.
The others were quiet, but they couldn’t hear anything.
“We got you!” A rainbow griefer sprinted toward the middle of the desert temple and toward the TNT that booby-trapped the treasure.
Kyra shot an arrow at the griefer, but it didn’t affect him at all. Adam threw a potion of weakness at him, but that didn’t do much damage.
Steve guarded the blue clay block where the treasure was hidden and swung his sword at the griefer.
Thomas struck the griefer, “Where are our friends?”
“Alex, why don’t you tell them?” The griefer looked at Alex, who was pointing her bow and arrow at the griefer.
“This is the griefer who approached me about bringing you guys here and stealing all your loot,” she said.
“You traitor! You were supposed to be on our side. Why would you tell them about our plan?” The rainbow griefer was upset.
“I am not on your side anymore.” Alex shot an arrow at the rainbow griefer. He finally succumbed to all the hits and was destroyed.
Steve could hear more voices. “I think there are more rainbow griefers heading our way. Get ready.”
“I don’t think it’s a rainbow griefer,” said Kyra.
The group heard a faint cry, “Help!”
“They’re here!” Steve called out.
“But where?” asked Adam.
They took out their pickaxes and banged against the wall, but there was silence.
“Maybe we should try the other wall?” suggested Thomas.
Treasure Hunters in Trouble Page 5